Jayson Werth's fourth-inning homer produced one of the Nats' two runs.

Game in a nutshell: The Ross Detwiler-Cliff Lee pitching matchup looked like a compelling one on paper, and it didn't disappoint. Each left-hander was both dominant and efficient for much of the evening, surrendering one early run. Then Detwiler folded in the sixth, allowing three runs, while Lee continued his excellence straight through the eighth. One night after producing a game-tying rally against the Phillies bullpen, there was no such drama for the Nationals. They went down quietly against Jonathan Papelbon and thus lost their third straight game, falling two games below .500. Most frustrating: Because the Braves were swept by the Mets in a doubleheader, there was an opportunity to gain 1 1/2 games in the standings. Instead, the Nats only gain 1/2-game, while the Phillies gain 1 1/2 and catch the Nationals for second place.

Hitting lowlight: The highlights were few and far between. Jayson Werth homered in the fourth. Jeff Kobernus homered in the eighth, the first of his career. In between, the Nationals barely did anyRead more »

This game isn't on Det, it's on the offense (as usual). Having said that, Det was one pitch away from getting out of it and couldn't do it. Although, of course, if that's an outfielder in the outfield, they probably catch that liner. That ended up being the difference in the game. We gained half a game, but it should've been 1.5. We have to take advantage of these opportunities. It's hard to watch right now.

Again, you struggle for offense and play Punch and Judy second basemen in the outfield. Maybe in AAA the can convert Espi too. Go ahead Davey, tell the team to relax. Another embarrassing effort at the plate.

Boyer said…This team should have to ride on a bus like a AAA team until they actually play like major leaguers. Nats are becoming the joke of baseball. Horrific.This hyperbole does nobody any good. The Nats are 2 games under .500. Not good given expectations, but there are another 10-15 teams who would probably like to be where we are. We're not "the joke of baseball."

Total lack of heart. No passion. I would start taking things away in the locker room. Make them feel some pain and need to earn it. If this keeps up the place will be empty once Skins camp starts. No one will even know baseball is going on in Aug and Sept.

Detwiler was one pitch from getting out of it and probably should have gotten out of it if Lombo makes a decent play. Easy to go back in hindsight, but I'm fine with Davey's decision. He's made much worse before.

Desi, as a team leader went to the manager. He got the usual blather. They just need to relax and have fun. Yeah. That should do it. That's the brilliant plan? And as for those of you who think they don't care or have any heart? The opposite is probably true. They are tied up in knots. If you could ask their families how things are going, I am sure this is not a happy time. They are going through a horrible time. As hard as this is to watch, I cannot even imagine being in that clubhouse.

I truly believe this team is going to go on a roll in the second half. Depending on how far back we are, it may or may not be enough. But either way, it will be a whole lot of fun to watch. We will be in contention.

Yeah swami – I was about to say… I know they are frustrated, probably beyond you and I could even think about…. It's tough but as we know winning cures all… Hopefully, they can start winning and things will get good…

DJB said…Again, the run differential is ultimately determinative. We are about negative forty. We will end between 5 and 8 below 500. This is pretty much set in stone. We can say "go team," but it is over.Then why watch? I don't get it. If you're SOOOO sure it's over and the team is so painful to watch, WHY DO IT? Or do you just enjoy coming here to tell us how awful the team is and we stand no chance? It makes no sense to think that way, otherwise.

It just cracks me up when people blame Lombo, the part time bench infielder. He is just a huge cog in this machine. Certainly no veterans with big contracts responsible here. Entire game rested all on that one throw. Such a very unlikely scapegoat.

When Harper gets back they will go on a tear.Not sure why so many people are so negative about the ending.Look at Giants 2010 and 2012. Tigers 2011.One thing I dis agree with many. Every game is important be it early, middle or late. Too many kept saying it is earky. Well if Braves had gone 7-7 not 12-2 we would be just about even.

David….I hope you are right, but I see zero evidence that this group can ever put together a winning streak of any kind… they are playing hard and in 70 games I feel they only quit once this season the exceood.ption is Haren, who is garbage). The point is, they are just not very good

The Tigers were under .500 until July last year. The A's were 5 back with 9 to play and won the division.The point isn't that the team is playing well. It's not. The point is that runs CAN happen (even if they're not probable). People who come here and say it's a CERTAINTY that the season is over on June 18 annoy me. You can say the team isn't playing well, find fault with Davey, players, whatever. But the season isn't over, the Nationals aren't eliminated and I'm going to continue rooting for the team until the end (and even after that).If you get some enjoyment out of the team struggling or trying to make the rest of us as miserable about the team as you, have fun with that I guess. To each their own.

Phillies appear to be a better team than Nats and will be in second place by Wed, as I said on Sunday. what is scary is that the Mets may be better than us. I hate to say, Nats will finish 4th, ahead of Miami

Our woodward and Berstein's on twitter didnt report if Harper started jogging today. Said yesterday he was suppose too, but no one followed up.I am guessing he jogged a little to see how it will feel tomorrow.

mick said…Phillies appear to be a better team than Nats and will be in second place by Wed, as I said on Sunday. what is scary is that the Mets may be better than us. I hate to say, Nats will finish 4th, ahead of MiamiMick, come on. I know you're pessimistic but keep some perspective, man! You said we'd be in third after the last Phillies series and we weren't. The Mets are certainly not better than us. The Phillies are not better than us either. You have some confirmation bias because you only see when our team fails, not when they do.

There are things in every game that I appreciate. First of all- I just really like baseball. Watching Jayson shut up that rude crowd was quite satisfying. Det showed five innings of what he is capable of. And don't compare Det and Stras!!! Det was out for a full month. Stras was working up to 7-8 innings and was out a shorter time. And he is supposed to be " The Man". Det was cruising and hit a wall- did anyone notice? Again- he was out much longer, made one start in Colorado, in the altitude . I love the team but I am getting the feeling that the bosses are not paying attention. Anyway, positives– how about Kobernus getting his first homer off of Lee???

Mick – be prepared for people to call you out when you make statements such as that you made about the Nats being in 4th place, if it doesn't happen…I've seen you make various comments like that then scream 'why me?' When your statements are false….

No, the whole game didn't rest on the throw.We got beat by a great pitcher who is having a great year personally. But, swami, the infielders playing the outfield are killing our pitchers.Though plays like tonight don't go in the book as errors, they are plays that have to be made. I have a lot of respect for your opinions but we'll never agree on this thing regarding Lombo, Kobernus and Moore. Like I said, I don't expect web gems from them because they can't make them. I'll continue to cheer for them from the stands, but I have my opinion and you have yours. Mine is quite simply they shouldn't be out there to start with.

On any given day any team can win or lose. It's not predictable- you think it is, but it's not. It's been disappointing and frustrating to be sure, but I will watch every day because anything can happen. David is right- it's June 18 th. Game tomorrow. I hope they play well but I would not be against a little lucky bounce now and then!!

Mick had loose all 6 ganes between Twins and Rockies, so I concluded he is just to negative for me toi believe.I realize I am to positive as I see no reason why we can't win the division.Most pkayers are way under lifetime numbersand when they get back to normal and Harper is back we will take off.

MrsB…my comments are so harmless compared to other posters…I also do not insult anyone unless they attack me first.I predicted Sunday, Nats would be in third after Phillies series…now, if Phils win…my prediction will be spot on, right? So, will you and any other mother fers in here acknowledge it?? No,

Joe- you are completely misunderstanding my position on the young guys. I am sticking up for them only because I feel that they have been put in a no win situation. Bad for their development, bad for their careers, bad for the game, bad for the team. I hate it that they have been stuck where they don't belong without the skills, experience or training. I hate to see them personally blamed for doing their best when I feel that it's poor management to have them out there. That 's why I defend them. They are tiny cogs in the wheel and the last guys who should be blamed for how things are going.

manda Comak ‏@acomak 18sAsked Jayson Werth how #nats can keep from drowning in struggles & hit stride. "Got to show up tomorrow ready to eat somebody's face."Well I suppose killing the opposition is one way to win games…

I go into every single game assuming we can win.Why bother if you can't possibly win.I assume the itger team goes in with same attitude.We need to out execute other teams which we have not done enough of.

You watch because they're Washington's team. Whether or not they win, we still have a team. When it gets too painful, I'll turn to football, but right now we have baseball, which is something to say. We just need to fix the organization and watch individuals develop. We have the money, we just need to change management.

Doesn't a good manager find ways to shake things up? How bout a little small ball Davey? Shake it up baby. Anyone can just sit there and hope for a 3 run bomb ala Weaver. How bout picking the lineup out of a hat? Could it be worse? Hell, it couldn't be worse if you brought up the P-Nats to play. World Series or Bust!!

DJB– I think you have a point- someone or group of someone's is asleep at the wheel. Need to make adjustments. The guys seem to need a little more support and guidance instead of pat answers, stories and quips. Jayson, though- what a character .

David Proctor said…manda Comak ‏@acomak 18sAsked Jayson Werth how #nats can keep from drowning in struggles & hit stride. "Got to show up tomorrow ready to eat somebody's face."Well I suppose killing the opposition is one way to win games.——///-///Wow, Jayson taking the Werewolves of London to a new level!

At this point neither is likely.Why are so negatie? It is like you rather be right than the Nats wi a game.That is why so many people jump on you.It appears you are happy about predicting doom. Real fans hate that.

It doesn't really matter whose name is printed first in the standings tomorrow in the sense that I see no relevance in that with regards to any topics on here. If the Phillies win tomorrow, which we probably all dread and sort of expect, then the Phils will take 2nd again.This team is not the same team without Harper and no one has any clue when he is coming back. How long has it been already? A month? That is a long time for a mysterious injury.

"David Proctor said…manda Comak ‏@acomak 18sAsked Jayson Werth how #nats can keep from drowning in struggles & hit stride. 'Got to show up tomorrow ready to eat somebody's face.'"Ha! This kind of trivial hilarity is exactly why I love this guy. Levity is vastly underrated. Home runs in a hostile ballpark don't hurt either 😉.

We started off 7-2 and had the Braves dead to rights at home in the next game. That was a pretty good start. Those were good times until Heyward got the key hit and started us on a 3 game series loss to the Braves.

I think that as irritated as I get with our OF situation, I'd be infuriated if I was a Braves fan. I know that error tell a small part of an outfield's story. many miscues are not ruled errors, but our whole outfield has only been charged with 5 errors. Meanwhile the Uptons have 8 between them, in addition to numerous miscues that aren't ruled errors. Between the strikeouts, errors, and money committed the Braves have to be very concerned. Though being 7 games in front will temper their concern for a while.

Okay, lots of rethinking to do. Mets sweep Atlanta. Interesting stuff going on elsewhere–Boston, Houston, etc. It now seems as though our 2010 and 2011 teams were better than their records–I thought so at the time. Go back and rethink 2011: If we had not had the manager shakeup–not blaming anybody–I just think that team that finished strong showed a lot.I now think last year was a bit of a fluke–at the start everybody thought our come-of-age year would be this year. No one expected us to have the best record in baseball last year, but we arrived early. I think Boz, among others, would agree that maybe we got there too fast. Then Davey's world series talk in April, which was way premature and not very smart, put the wrong ideas in our guys' head and pissed off everybody else. Can't you hear them gloating in Philly right now? We owned the Phillies back a while–all right, we won the season against them–and now where are we?The team is eating humble pie, and it's not all their fault. If they get over it, we may be playing "meaningful games in October." (Rizzo was always right to use that phrase–moderate, a reasonable goal.) But world series? You don't ever want to predict that. Not ever. Eight teams have never won a world series. Quite a few other have won only a few. The Phillies, for example, have won 3 in 130 years! The last 4 teams to go to their first world series have a collective record of 2-16. And the Rangers, for example, finally got there but haven't won yet.The only thing that will get this team's heads on straight is patience. Nothing is fore-ordained. My NL team growing up was the Giants–I saw Willy Mays play at the Polo Grounds in NY. And the greatest year for me until 2004 was 1951. Thirteen games behind in late August. Finished 37-7, and then Bobby Thompson finished it off. My best friend Dodger fan couldn't even spit for a month.Swami's comment the other night about sitting back and enjoying the games is the way to go.

Mick, you make negative predictions day after day, week after week, and month after month. Every now and then you may get one right, but overall your batting average is below the Espinosa Line. That you want to pat yourself on the back is far more surprising than the collective yawn from your fellow NIers when you stumble over a correct prediction.

It has become very, very hard for the "best" team in baseball to win the world series since they added the extra round back in the mid-90's. Assuming each round is essentially a coin flip, each team has about a 13 percent chance of winning it all. We were a bit fooled by the Yankees doing so well in the late 90's but that wore off. The Braves are a better example. Going back to 1982, they have been in the play-offs 15 years, I believe and made it to only 4 World Series and won only one.

Didn't the Giants have to play a lot of road games that summer? I am not sure how it played out but I think that whole thing about stealing signs was way overblown. Weren't they still stealing signs when the Yankees wiped them out 4-1 in the World Series a few days later?

I personally loved Jayson Werth's comment. "Eat somebody's face." It speaks to the passion, aggressiveness, and confidence this team needs. I think there is a bit of a depressive, Eeyore mentality going on. The Phil's rally last night is exactly what the nat's need to show. They opened with small ball getting a runnner on base. Could have patiently worked him around the bases, yet they had the kind of confidence to make even more happen. Not disconnected, random luck, but a determined attack.I'm picturing the squad with faces painted half red, screaming as they charge out of the dugout.Strong individual performances, especially pitching, just won't cut it. Confidence in each other and a "take no prisoners attitude."GYFNG-ESF!